Friday, October 30, 2009

Perfect lining...

It went from 3 mm on Monday to 10.4 (or 10.7 I can't remember now) mm today and it's triple striped. On only one little Vivelle patch every other day.

My estrogen was 98 (they want it over 50) and progesterone was 0.4. I don't know what it's supposed to be but I think low is the goal. The LH was still pending.

So.....................I called my nurse before we had the lab values and told her about my triple stripe and thickness.

Me: "Isn't that where we want it at the time of transfer?"

Her: "Yes."

Me: "So, um..how do we make sure it doesn't get thicker?"

Her: "Oh we'll just hold you on one patch and then when we start progesterone that will lock it in." (but the progesterone doesn't start until just a few days right before the transfer...so that's many more days of estrogen patches)

Me: "What do you want the estrogen to be?"

Her: "Over 50, but yours won't be on just one patch. We'll have to add oral estrogen."

Me: "But won't that thicken the lining?"

Her: "Not really."

Yeah, right.

I'm an FET idiot, so I consulted with Mrs. Hope, an IVF expert, and also Jill, another IVF expert and they both advised that it is not a good idea to just hold for that long, that I probably need to be getting out to transfer much sooner. Of course, they want the E2 to be over 300 for transfer, so not sure how to accomplish that without also uber-thickening out my lining.

But my nurse didn't even so much as mention moving the date. HMPH. I sense another panicked phone call coming up here in, oh, let's say, an hour or so?? I think I'm going to have to speak with Dr. M herself.

I will remain calm, but I will not have their scheduling issues ruin my beautifully biopsied lining.

13 comments:

I had something similar happen with my FET. My first check was at 4 days after starting vivelle (1 Patch) but they didn't check my lining at that stage...my e2 was at 89...so I went to 2 patches to 3 to 4 and they did a lining check - it was a 12.4, which they said was great...so then I was cleared to start the PIO...however, my P4 still came back relatively low (168) so I had to start oral estrace anyway....at which point I was freaking out because I still had 5 days or so until transfer and with my lining already at 12.4 and adding estrace, I was convinced my lining would be too thick (which usually happens with a fresh cycle for me...it gets up around 18)...but the transfer went fine and we never had another lining check, which I thought was odd. I am just sharing my story because I think our bodies react differently to the external estrogen than to our own estrogen climing during a regular cycle. They kept saying that if we need to, we can keep me on the estrogen support for longer than usual and my lining should stay fine, which I thought was odd...but apparently it doesn't just keep climbing...the lining often hits a plateau and stays there, though there is always the risk it can get too thick.

I don't know if this makes you feel better...but my guess is that you will do okay with the added estrogen. I also wanted you to know that I felt similarly but kind of blindly followed and did okay (which probably says something unfortunate about my personality), so you might have a beautiful lining check in a few days:-)

Obviously I'm not a FET expert! I just hope that your numbers get to Dr. M post-haste and SHE has something productive and understandable to say here. Woah, I can't believe how fast this is coming up! Can't wait to hear an update soon...

My advice (and granted I know nothing of FETs, but have learned too much about scheduling issues at CCRM) I'd raise hell and make sure you talk to the doc personally. Yours is a unique case, and sometimes I think that gets lost in the shuffle of nurses.

Gah. I have done so much lining research since mine was always so, so thick - I think it was 19 at one transfer. From what I have read - there is a school of thought that there is not such a thing as too thick and then others that think over 16 is too thick...I have no clue but as I said before - this one worked (but I had another loss with a DIUI and my lining was thinner) so who the F knows - good luck and keep advocating for yourself.

I didn't know that lining can be TOO thick? I thought it was always a worry about it being too thin. Mine has always been somewhere between 13 and 15 and they seemed happy with that. I feel like that's at least one thing I can do right! LOL!

I was very confused with my FET last summer. It's so different than a fresh cycle.

I went back and checked my FET calendar. I started my patches on CD3. I only had one u/s on CD15. I don't remember what my lining was, but it was good enough! My transfer was on CD21 with 5 day blasts, and that was moving me up a day because my period came a day late. If I'm calculating your dates right, you are transfering on CD19 with 3 day embryos, so theoretically, you are right on schedule.

My first E2 was on CD9, 7 days after I started the patches and it was 249. My E2 was 1992 at transfer, which I thought was a little high, but it was higher when I transfered for my IVF cycle. Needless to say, I didn't need any oral estrace. Of course, my FET didn't work, but I think that had more to do with my embryos than anything.

I think it's unusual that they are checking your lining more now than a typical FET patient, but that's because they are watching your lining. Plus, you know that u/s are not perfect. They are only as good as the person reading them.

So I dunno. All I know is that freaking out is probably not a good thing. Talk to your doctor if you think it helps. And learn as much as you can about FET protocols! HUGS!!

I have no wisdom but I am waiting anxiously for an update. It is total bullshit that they are messing with people's cycles to benefit the schedule. Beyond that it is going to compromise their success rates, waste our money and dash our dreams. wrong. Wrong. WRONG.

I am really hoping you were able to get everything figured out with Dr. M. I don't know enough about FET protocols to have any useful advice or words of wisdom. I do know that you are a fighter though and won't back down until you feel okay with where you are going. I'm really sorry their scheduling BS is causing you so many issues. Many hugs.

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What's there to say that isn't kind of obvious in the blog title?
We've been through four failed IVFs (straight up BFNs). Lots of surgeries, prodding, testing, etc. etc. All out of pocket by the way. We recently embarked to a famous clinic (for the second time) for our fifth and final IVF which ended in the cruelest joke yet: the dreaded chemical pregnancy.
We have now ventured into international adoption--and are cautiously excited!